One can never overreact to an act of mother-nature, especially hurricanes. Hurricanes can blow at speeds of 130 to 150 miles per hour, which is one reason why they should never be disregarded. Areas near the Gulf of Mexico have experienced roughly 24 hurricanes since the turn of the century. People should take heed to hurricanes because of the media, fatalities caused by past hurricanes, and possible property damage. .
The media tends to cause the community to overreact to hurricanes; however, if the media downplayed the situation, it could be potentially deadly. When major disasters are approaching, meteorologists tend to get overzealous with their predictions; nevertheless, they shouldn't be disregarded. For example, in 1999 Georges was supposed to hit New Orleans directly, but it took on a different path which was nowhere near New Orleans. This caused the public to overreact because if Georges had hit southern Louisiana, New Orleans would have been a disaster area. It is true that some people overreact to the threat of hurricanes, but even more people under react to them because they distrust the media. This under reaction can cause great losses to the community. We must realize that the media isn't perfect, but it is important that we listen to them because ignorance can cause major loss, including death.
Past fatalities are definitely one reason why people living on the Gulf of Mexico over react to hurricanes. People that have lost love ones to this disaster know that it should not be taken lightly. When there is a hurricane warning, these people pack up their things and leave. They would much rather spend a few hundred dollars to stay at a hotel out of town than to stare a hurricane in the face. In other words it is better to be safe than sorry. In 1965 Hurricane Betsy took 76 lives in Louisiana, southern Florida, and the Bahamas. My grandparents, along with their eight children were forced to leave their home in Ironton, LA and move into New Orleans .